The Issue

A rich naturally regenerating forest near Baldy Hughes, British Columbia, shortly before being aerially sprayed.

A silent spring in a once bustling forest after being sprayed.

Every year in BC forest companies and government agencies spend millions of dollars to eliminate broadleaf species including aspen and birch from replanted conifer plantations, as shown in the photos above.

The reason this is done is because forest industry in the Central Interior does not utilize aspen. Consequently aspen is considered a “pest” and government requires it’s elimination. Due to existing stocking standards, mixed forests are technically illegal, despite recent studies showing they create more timber and are more resilient. Unless the lumber company wants to face a penalty for failing to “reforest”, they have to eliminate all so called “weed” trees including aspen. Converting mixed stands to monocultures is considered sustainable forestry and is certified by organizations such as SFI.

A long-standing practice, we’ve sprayed or manually brushed over 1.3 million hectares of forest across the Province since 1980, an area a third the size of Vancouver Island. We still spray around 15,000 hectares a year today, mostly in the Central Interior.

This is a website that seeks to provide information on this activity and to pose a few rhetorical questions:

Why is it illegal to grow mixed forests with deciduous and coniferous components in BC?